The Butterfly House by Harry Woodgate, Andersen, £12.99
Miss Brown’s wild garden scares most people, but when Holly discovers her reclusive neighbour’s sadness, she decides to help turn the wilderness into a butterfly haven. A beautiful, moving picture book about the healing power of gardens and community.
The History of We by Nikkolas Smith, Rock the Boat, £8.99
Via rich, dynamic paintings and thoughtful pared-back text, Smith answers the question “What does the beginning look like?” with this powerful picture book, the shared story of humanity’s first ancestors in “the fertile cradle of Africa”.
The Ocean at Night by Isabelle Simler, translated by Michele Hutchison, Pushkin, £12.99
For 5+, this stunning nighttime picture book is layered with iridescent detail, from sharp-beaked gannets to parrotfish in protective mucus spheres. There’s simple text at the top for new readers and more complex information at the bottom.
Cabin Head and Tree Head by Scott Campbell, DK, £12
Best friends Cabin Head and Tree Head love having adventures together, from painting portraits to hide-and-seek. There’s no challenge they can’t weather, even a disastrous haircut, in this entrancingly surreal, child-friendly 5+ graphic novel.
Harriet Tubman, Force of Nature by Caroline Brewer, What on Earth Books, £14.99
A soaring verse biography of the heroic abolitionist with superb collaged illustrations, ideal for sharing with children of 7+.
Mystery Gamebooks: Werewolf Wood by Lan Cook, illustrated by Jared MacPherson, Usborne, £9.99
As you arrive at Grandma’s house in the woods, a sinister adventure awaits you in this taut, pleasantly chilling interactive 7+ gamebook.
Dead Yard: Seeds of Doom by PJ Killburn, illustrated by Markia Jenia, Little Tiger, £7.99
When Jermaine steals a patty at his great-uncle Carl’s Dead Yard remembrance service, he doesn’t realise eating it before midnight will stop his irate relative’s ghost passing on. Worse, the neighbourhood kids have started getting ill, reminding Jermaine of his great-gran’s spooky Jamaican stories. Can he figure out how to save his friends and set Carl’s spirit free? A funny-scary, atmospheric 8+ adventure laced with Caribbean folklore and tradition.
Small Wonder by Ross Montgomery, Walker, £7.99
Tick’s grandfather taught him everything about caring for himself, his little brother Leaf, and Pebble, their magnificent horse. Now enemies have invaded, Grandfather is no longer with them, and Tick must get himself and Leaf to safety in Kings’ Keep, surviving hunger, bandits and a deadly pursuer, in this thrilling, full-tilt adventure from the author of I Am Rebel.
The Girl Who Raced the World by Nat Harrison, Bonnier, £12.99
Losing her beloved mother, Maggie is left adrift in London with only a letter addressed to “Passepartout” for guidance. But Passepartout is employed by Mr Phileas Fogg, who has just accepted a wager to circumnavigate the globe in 80 days – and attempting to deliver the letter will precipitate Maggie into an impossible race against time. This warm-hearted, exciting 9+ debut revisits Jules Verne’s classic from a delightful new perspective.
The Last Bard by Maz Evans, Chicken House, £12.99
Clearing out his grandfather’s seaside flat isn’t exactly a relaxing holiday for Will Davenant. When he inherits his grandfather’s Complete Works of Shakespeare, however, he finds unexpected help inside – four lively Shakespearean characters, ready to help Will, his mum and his new friends take charge of their own stories. Funny, energetic and moving, this 9+ standalone from the author of Who Let the Gods Out? encourages hope and resilience, even in the toughest times.
Witchlore by Emma Hinds, Usborne, £8.99
Shapeshifter Orlando is shunned at Demdike College of Witchcraft; not only do they have no control over their shifts between male and female forms, but they were responsible for their girlfriend’s death. When charismatic new boy Bastian arrives, offering the dangerous possibility of a resurrection spell, Orlando is all too easy to persuade. But who is Bastian, and what are his hidden intentions? Witty, mordant and original, this queer urban YA fantasy will appeal to fans of Holly Black.
And the River Drags Her Down by Jihyun Yun, Rock the Boat, £9.99
Sisters Mirae and Soojin share an ancestral magic: the ability to bring creatures back from the dead, though they must never resurrect anything larger than a hand. When Mirae is found drowned, Soojin can’t help but break the rules. But as unexplained deaths sweep their small town, Soojin must ask: is the sister she resurrected the same as the one she lost? This unsettling, poetic YA horror is full of fury, grief, love and hard-won acceptance.
Gladiator, Goddess by Morgan H Owen, Simon & Schuster, £16.99
Pompeiian Gia dreams of being a fighter like her brothers, but there’s no such thing as a female gladiator – until Gia catches the eye of Claudia, the emperor’s daughter, and begins winning fights in the arena. As the girls’ feelings intensify, can they survive a conspiracy against the empire – and the destiny the goddesses have in store? A bold, bloody, riotous sapphic romantasy.
Thirst by Darren Simpson, Pushkin, £9.99
In the prosperous village of Maimsbury, everyone accepts that a farm animal drowned in the river buys a year’s prosperity. Until a Brim Year brings greater riches, and demands a greater sacrifice … This creepy, compelling YA folk horror boasts a transporting sense of ritual and place.